1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain

The 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the second ever Kangaroo tour and was actually a tour by an "Australasian" squad including four New Zealand players in addition to twenty-four Australian representatives.[1] It took place over the British winter of 1911–12 and this time, to help promote the game of Rugby league in New Zealand, the Northern Rugby Football Union invited a combined Australian and New Zealand team, they became the first tourists to win the Ashes.[2] and the last to do so on British soil for over half a century.[3] The tour was a success in performance and organisation. Matches were well attended, the squad's touring payments were maintained throughout and the players all shared in a bonus at the tour's end.

Prior to the tour a three-way series of matches between New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand was organised as a basis of selection for the tour.[4] The New South Welshmen dominated the touring side, with four New Zealanders and only one Queenslander selected, however counted amongst the New South Welshmen was Con Sullivan, who had moved to Australia from New Zealand a few years before. Due to family and business commitments, rugby league great Dally Messenger declined to tour with the 1911–12 Kangaroos,[5] his friend and team-mate Sandy Pearce also chose not to go.[6]Chris McKivat who had captained the 1908 Wallabies to Olympic Gold was at age 32 a natural selection as tour captain. The Heads/Middleton reference describes McKivat as being revered on that tour – a magnificent general, tough, durable and an inspiration to the men around him, it quotes Johnny Quinlan the tour co-manager "He always set a splendid example in conduct and training – a natural leader"[7] Tour vice-captain was Paddy McCue. Tour managers were Charles H Ford and John Quinlan, the team sailed to England on the RMS Orvieto. The tourists were paid £4/5/ per week and received a bonus of £178 each.[8]

McKivat lead the way for Australia dominating the rucks and scoring a vital try. Renowned Australian journalist Claude Corbett was acting as one of the touch judges and referee Renton, over-ruled his goal decision on one of the Australian conversion attempts.[14]

Great Britain only needed to win the third Test to tie the series and keep the Ashes but were reduced to 12 men early in the encounter after an injury to Dick Ramsdale. Great Britain led 8–0 early but had no answer to the Australian attack as they ran in nine tries.[16]

This would be the first (and final) time the Kangaroos would win The Ashes on British soil until the 1963–64 Kangaroo tour.

1.
Australasia rugby league team
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The Australasian rugby league team represented Australia and New Zealand in rugby league sporadically between 1910 and 1922. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, appearances for the team were counted towards the Australian teams records and playing register, the team toured Great Britain twice, participating in two Ashes series, and also played Great Britain twice in Sydney. The Australasian side first played in 1910, after Great Britain had defeated Australia in two Test matches it was decided that two games would be played between Australasia and Great Britain. The team played in the Australian jerseys sky blue with maroon hoops and they became the first tourists to win the Ashes. Prior to the tour a series of matches between New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand was organised as a basis of selection for the tour. The New South Welshmen dominated the touring side, with four New Zealanders, however, counted amongst the New South Welshmen was Con Sullivan, who had moved to Australia from New Zealand a few years before. The team wore the sky blue jersey of New South Wales and the only non-New South Welsh player to appear in a test was Queenslander Billy Richards in the third

2.
Australia national rugby league team
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The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior mens rugby league football competition since the establishment of the Northern Union game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos are ranked second in the RLIF World Rankings. The team are the most successful in Rugby League World Cup history, having contested all 14 and winning 10 of them, failing to reach the only once. Only four nations have beaten Australia in test matches, and Australia have a win percentage of 67%. Dating back to 1908, Australia are the fourth oldest national side after England, New Zealand, the team was first assembled in 1908 for a tour of Great Britain. The majority of the Kangaroos games since then have played against Great Britain. In the first half of the 20th century, Australias international competition came from alternating tours to Great Britain and New Zealand, on tours to Great Britain, Australia was known as the Kangaroos. Great Britain dominated in the years, and Australia did not win a Test against the Lions until 11 November 1911 under captain Chris McKivat. Australia did not win a series at home against Great Britain until 1920 or abroad until 1958, since 7 July 1994 the teams official nickname has been the Kangaroos, though they had unofficially been referred to as such since 1908. Previously, the Australian team was referred to as the Kangaroos when on tours of Great Britain or France. In 1997 Australia was also represented by a Super League Australia team, Rugby football has been played in Australia since the 1860s. In 1863 Sydney University became the first rugby club to be formed in Sydney, the Sydney Football Club and the Wallaroos followed, and inter-club competition commenced. By 1880, there were 100 clubs across the country, in 1888 an English team visited Australasia, playing rugby rules in Queensland, New South Wales and New Zealand, and Australian rules football in Victoria and South Australia. In 1899, an Australian team was formed for the first time using players from Queensland and they played a series of Tests against a British team. By 1907, Sydney club rugby games were attracting up to 20,000 people, with all going to the Southern Rugby Football Union. This caused discontent among players, and in 1908 the New South Wales Rugby Football League, an Australian national rugby league team was first formed during the first season of rugby league in Australia, the 1908 NSWRFL Premiership season. Later that year the Australian team arranged to go on a tour of its own, the first Kangaroos arrived in England on 27 September 1908, and played their first ever test against the Northern Union in December in London. It finished 22 all in front of a crowd of 2,000, the second test in Newcastle in January 1909 attracted a crowd of 22,000, and the Northern Union won 15–5

3.
Rugby Football League
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The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the league competition run by the organisation. This has since been supplanted by Super League, the Championship, based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships. The social and junior game is administered in association with the British Amateur Rugby League Association, the Rugby Football League is a member of the Rugby League European Federation and as a senior Full Member has a combined veto power over the Council with France. The RFL is part of the Community Board, which also has representatives from BARLA, Combined Services, English Schools Rugby League, eventually the Northern was dropped from its name at the beginning of the 1980s. The turnover of the RFL was reported as £27m in 2011, two days later, on Thursday 29 August 1895, representatives of 21 clubs met in the George Hotel, Huddersfield to form the Northern Rugby Football Union. Twenty clubs agreed to resign from the Rugby Football Union, the Cheshire club, Stockport, had telegraphed the meeting requesting admission to the new organisation and was duly accepted with a second Cheshire club, Runcorn, admitted at the next meeting. The 22 clubs and their years of foundation were, In 1908 the Northern Unions brand of rugby was taken up in Australia, the Union hosted touring sides from both countries before assembling a Great Britain representative team for a 1910 tour of Australia and New Zealand. These nations, particularly Australia, would go on to excel in the sport, the British Amateur Rugby League Association was created in 1973 in Huddersfield by a group of enthusiasts concerned about the dramatic disappearance of many amateur leagues and clubs. Fewer than 150 amateur teams remained with a mere 30 youth rugby league teams, the breakaway from the RFL was acrimonious and was strongly contested, with a vote 29-1 against recognising BARLA. Thanks to Tom Mitchell, this changed to a vote of approval for BARLA within 12 months. Maurice Lindsay became the Chief Executive of the RFL in 1992, proposing the Super League, Lindsay returned to Wigan in 1999 for his second stint at the club after Sir Rodney Walker, then chairman of the RFL, sacked him after a campaign to unseat him failed. The RFL accumulated losses of £1.9 million at the end of 2001, shortly before a restructuring of the governing body. Within a year of joining the RFL, he oversaw reunification with BARLA after nearly 30 years of division, Lewis left in 2012 to become Chief Executive of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The RFL net value has been every year since 2004. The regional leagues may include winter competitions in addition, in 2012, the Rugby Football League were awarded the Stonewall Sport Award in recognition of their work in embracing inclusivity and tackling homophobia. They also became the first UK sporting organisation to make the top 100 employers in the Stonewall Index that measures attitudes towards lesbian, gay and bisexual staff. The RFL operates a system and is responsible for running the top three professional divisions as well as the National Conference League and various regional leagues below that

4.
New South Wales rugby league team
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The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sports beginnings there in 1907. Also known as the Blues due to their sky blue jerseys, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against neighbouring team and this annual event is a series of three games competing for the State of Origin shield. In 2013,2014,2015 and 2016 the Blues were captained by Paul Gallen and they have played all their home matches at Stadium Australia, New South Wales largest stadium, since it was built in 1999. The visiting All Golds won all three games, later in 1908 the Queensland team, whose first taste of rugby league football was also against the visiting Kiwis, traveled to Sydney for the first series of games between the two states. New South Wales won all three matches, setting a precedent for interstate dominance that would continue throughout most of the 20th century, in 1910 New South Wales defeated the touring England team in two of their three games. After that they became the first Blues side to travel to Queensland for the interstate series. In 1912 the New South Wales team first toured New Zealand and they also visited New Zealand in 1913. During the 1913 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia New South Wales played four matches against the Kiwis, the New South Wales team lost its first game against Queensland in 1922. This year the Blues also toured New Zealand, during the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand New South Wales played one match against the successful France national rugby league team, a 14-all draw. In a 1954 tour match between Great Britain and New South Wales the referee left the field in disgust at the players persistent fighting after 56 minutes so the match was abandoned. New South Wales dominance over Queensland came to an end with the introduction of state of origin selection rules in the early 1980s, ricky Stuart, who had previously coached New South Wales in 2005, was announced as the first full-time Blues coach in November 2010. Following the 2012 series, the Blues seventh consecutive loss, Stuart resigned the role, Stuart took a role as the Parramatta Eels head coach in 2013, citing family reasons for his move. Although the Blues continued their losing streak during Stuarts tenure, he is credited with restoring passion and pride to the NSW jersey and he was replaced by former Canberra, NSW and Australia teammate Laurie Daley. Daleys appointment as NSW State of Origin coach was announced in August 2012, Daley got job over candidates including Trent Barrett, Brad Fittler and Daniel Anderson. Daley coached the Blues to a victory in 2014, their first since 2005 and over his coaching rival. The secondary colour is blue, with additional contrasting colour of white. The official New South Wales rugby league team supporter group is known as Blatchys Blues,1 - Josh Dugan was originally selected to play in Game I, but he withdrew due to an elbow injury. He was replaced by Josh Morris,2 - James Tamou was originally selected to start on the bench in Game I, but however on game day he swapped positions with Greg Bird

5.
Queensland rugby league team
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The Queensland rugby league team has represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sports beginnings there in 1908. Nicknamed the Maroons after the colour of their jersey, the plays three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales in the State of Origin series. Captained by Cameron Smith and coached by Kevin Walters, Queensland, since 1908 a Queensland representative rugby league team had been assembled from players based in the state to compete annually against New South Wales. The team used to play matches against other foreign and domestic touring teams. Until 1987 clubs from both the Brisbane Rugby League and the NSWRL provided players for the side, Maroons players have been chosen exclusively from clubs in the National Rugby League since Game III2001 when Allan Langer was selected from Europes Super League. Recently the team achieved a record-breaking eight successive State of Origin victories from 2006 to 2013, Queensland had already been playing in their maroon jerseys each year against New South Wales in their sky blue before the split in rugby football between union and league took place. This set the precedent for much of interstate rugby leagues history in Australia. During the 1912 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia, Queensland lost both its matches against the Kiwis in Brisbane, again, Queensland played two matches against the Kiwis during the 1913 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia and again the Maroons lost both. New South Wales had won every match between the two states until 1922, when the Maroons, with Cyril Connell playing at halfback, achieved their maiden victory and this commenced Queenslands only golden period before the introduction of State of Origin. In 1925 Queensland toured New Zealand and played against the full New Zealand side, the Queensland side was invited to tour ahead of the New South Wales side because Queensland was the more dominant of the two during this period. During the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand Queensland played one match against the successful France national rugby league team, as the twentieth century progressed, New South Wales proved to be the dominant team. Queensland did not win a series against New South Wales until 1958. This meant that selection would be based on the state a player made his debut in. Queenslands first truly representative team won the first State of Origin match 20–10 on 8 July 1980, after Queensland lost the first two games in 1981 the third match was again a State of Origin match. Queensland also won game, and all subsequent series have been played under State of Origin selection criteria. Queenslands overall record in interstate clashes between 1908 and 1981 was 54 wins,8 draws and 159 losses in 221 games, between 1908 and 1979 Queensland also played matches against a number of touring Test teams. In the inaugural State of Origin match in 1980, Queensland surprised all in a commanding 20–10 win over New South Wales, Arthur Beetson and Chris Close were the stars for Queensland, but Kerry Boustead scored Queenslands first ever try. This saw the new State of Origin rules applied a fairer game, in 1981, legendary captain Arthur Beetson was ready to play before injury ruled him out, so he became coach of the team, and would remain so for the next three years

6.
New Zealand national rugby league team
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The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are known as the Kiwis. The teams colours are majority black with white and the players perform a haka before every match they play as a challenge to their opponents. The New Zealand Kiwis won the most recent Four Nations competition in 2014 and, since the 2015 Anzac Test, since the 1980s, most New Zealand representatives have been based overseas, in the professional National Rugby League and Super League competitions. Before that players were selected entirely from clubs in domestic New Zealand leagues, since then the Kiwis have regularly competed in international competition, touring Europe and Australia throughout the 20th century. New Zealand have competed in every Rugby League World Cup since the first in 1954, in 2008 New Zealand won the World Cup for the first time. They also contest the Baskerville Shield against England, and play an annual Anzac Test against Australia, Rugby football was introduced into New Zealand by Charles John Monro, son of the then speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, Sir David Monro. He had been sent to Christs College, East Finchley in north London and he brought the game back to his native Nelson, and arranged the first rugby match between Nelson College and Nelson Football Club, played on 14 May 1870. When New Zealands national rugby team toured Britain in 1905 they witnessed the growing popularity of the breakaway non-amateur Northern Unions games, on his return in 1906, All Black George William Smith met the Australian entrepreneur J J Giltinan to discuss the potential of professional rugby in Australasia. The first New Zealand team to play rugby was known as the All Blacks. To avoid confusion, the terms professional All Blacks or All Golds are used, in the meantime, a lesser known New Zealand rugby player, Albert Henry Baskerville was ready to recruit a group of players for a Great Britain pro tour. It is believed that Baskerville became aware of the profits to be made such a venture while he was working at the Wellington Post Office in 1906. A colleague had a fit and dropped a British newspaper. Baskerville picked it up and noticed a report about a Northern Union match that over 40,000 people had attended, Baskerville wrote to the NRFU asking if they would host a New Zealand touring party. The 1905 All Blacks tour was still fresh in English minds, thus the NU saw the upcoming competitive New Zealand tour as exceptional opportunity to raise the profile, the NU agreed to the tour provided that some of those original All Blacks were included in the New Zealand team. George Smith arrived back in New Zealand and after learning of Baskervilles plans, the New Zealand Rugby Union became aware of the tour and promptly applied pressure to any All Black or New Zealand representative player it suspected of involvement. They had the New Zealand Governments Agent General in London deliver a statement to the British press in an effort to undermine the tours credibility. This had little effect and by time the professional All Blacks were already sailing across the Tasman to give Australia its first taste of professional rugby

7.
Con Sullivan
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Con Sullivan was a New Zealand international rugby league footballer of the early twentieth century who played for various Australasian representative sides. Sullivan started his career in Wellington, where he was selected to tour Australia, in 1910 he started playing for North Sydney in the NSWRFL Premiership. In his first year at the club he was selected to play for New South Wales, Australia, the following year he was selected to go on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, and played in 16 matches, for Australasia, including the third Test. Sullivan toured New Zealand with the New South Wales side in 1912-13 and played his last Test series against England in 1914 in teams captained by his clubmate, Sullivan later married Deanes sister with their son Bob Sullivan continuing the family link with the club. Bob Sullivan made a Test appearance for Australia in 1954 and his younger brother John also played for Norths in the 1950s as a versatile back. Con Sullivan died in October 1964

8.
Dally Messenger
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Herbert Henry Dally Messenger was one of Australasias first professional rugby footballers, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code. Messenger, or The Master as he was dubbed, represented his country in two rugby union tests and seven rugby league tests. Messenger had a build, and while standing only about 172 cm in height, he was a powerful runner of the ball. He was a teetotaller and non-smoker during his career and other than breakfast, Messenger was born in the Sydney waterfront suburb of Balmain, New South Wales, and grew up in another of Sydneys waterfront suburbs, Double Bay, where his father owned a boat shed. He also spent some time living with an aunt in South Melbourne, Victoria, in Sydney, Messenger attended Double Bay Public School in the citys eastern suburbs. It was here that he honed his rugby skills, while also playing cricket and indulging in his other great sporting love. Messenger worked, too, at his fathers boat shed, by this juncture, he had gained the nickname of Dally. Fortunately, little Herbert Henry shed his pot belly as he grew older, together with the e from the spelling of his nickname, Messenger first took up competitive rugby in 1900, playing for a local rugby union club called the Warrigals in a semi-social club competition. In 1905 he finally began playing for Easts in the clubs second-grade team, in that same season, he also purportedly played Australian rules football club in a number of first-grade matches in the Sydney competition. Messenger began the 1906 season in first grade with Easts as a standoff and he swiftly won a following amongst the clubs supporters due to his mesmeric ball skills, cheeky tricks, blistering acceleration and accurate short- and long-kicking game off either foot. Messenger moved to what would become his customary position of following his selection there for the New South Wales team in 1906. By the time of his Wallaby debut in 1907, he had made that position his own, in the book Viewless Winds, the 1906 representative footballer Paddy Moran wrote that Messengers play was full of surprises, unorthodox, flash and directed largely by the unconscious mind. He said that Messenger never became a slave to copybook practices because his instinct enabled him to see, Moran compared him to Bradman in terms of their mutual ability to instantaneously co-ordinate their bodies into the right position in apparently ample time before the ball would arrive. When talk of a rugby competition, or a Rugby League, was being aired. He was approached by a consortium that included Test cricketer, Victor Trumper with friend J. J. Giltinan and he signed on with the new professional code in 1907. As the premier rugby footballer of the time, Messengers signing is considered the moment in the substantiation of rugby league. After he became a league player, Messengers rugby games were struck from the record books of the New South Wales Rugby Union. Messenger played in the series against a professional New Zealand team, the All Golds as they were referred to

9.
Sandy Pearce
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Sid Pearce directs here, for his son, the rugby league player of the same name, see Joe Pearce Sidney Charles Pearce, better known as Sandy, was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and boxer. He is considered one of the nations finest footballers of the 20th century and he made his first national representative appearance in 1908. A hooker, Pearce played his career of 157 matches for the Eastern Suburbs club between 1908 and 1921. Pearce was a member of the Eastern Suburbs side that won three premierships from 1911–13. He was also a member of the three Easts City Cup winning sides from 1914 to 1916 and he was the first Eastern Suburbs player to register 100 matches with the club and the first in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership to play in 150 matches. Sandy Pearce was a member of the side played against the New Zealand ‘All Golds in 1908 helping to establish the code in Australia. He went on the inaugural Kangaroo tour of England in 1908–09 where he was one of five players from the thirty-five strong touring party to play in all three Test matches. He also played in 30 other minor matches on that tour, Pearce, along with friend and team-mate Dally Messenger chose not to go on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. At 38 years of age he was selected for the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain where he played in two Tests and nineteen minor games. In all he played in fourteen of the first seventeen test matches between Australia and England, aged 38 years and 158 days for his final Test on 5 November 1921, he became the oldest player ever to represent Australia. He retired as Australias most-capped rugby league player, Sandy Pearce and his son Joe Pearce later became the first father and son to represent Australia in rugby league. Sandy Pearce is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.17, Pearce came from a family of sporting champions. His father Harry Pearce was a champion sculler. Sandys brother Walter was a long distance cyclist, sister Lilly Pearce was also a noted sculler. Nephew Bobby Pearce was probably the most recognised – a dual Olympic sculling gold medalist]], sandys own son Joe Pearce followed in his footsteps playing rugby league for Eastern Suburbs and representing NSW and Australia in that sport. He was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1914, following his retirement from the game as a player Pearce took up a role as trainer with the University club. Despite having a long and injury free rugby league career, Pearce died age of 47 from what was determined as heart strain, the cortège for his funeral was said to be more than a mile long. Famous Rugby league players were the pallbearers including Dally Messenger, Peter Burge, Frank Burge, Arthur Surridge Reg Latta and he was buried at South Head Cemetery on Saturday 15 November 1930

10.
Chris McKivat
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Christopher Hobart McKivat was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and he is unique in Australian rugby history as the only man to captain both the national rugby union and rugby league teams. Following his playing career he became the most successful coach of the North Sydney Bears in the clubs history. He captained the 1908 Summer Olympics gold medal winning Wallaby side and was the captain of the Australian national rugby league team leading them in all 3 Tests of the 1911–12 tour. Thus he captained his country to victory on tour in two different rugby codes and he was born in Cumnock, New South Wales and educated by the Patrician Brothers in Orange. He played country rugby union with the Our Boys club in Wellington and was selected in country representative teams until he was 26. He was a tactically brilliant half-back and a great leader of both forwards and backs. McKivat was selected for New South Wales in 1905 to represent against the visiting All Blacks and he crossed over to the professional code joining the Glebe Rugby League Club as a 30-year-old veteran in 1910. He made his rugby league debut that same year in the first Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910 against Great Britain. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day John Barnett, Bob Craig, Jack Hickey and he played in 31 matches on Tour and scored 10 tries. The Heads/Middleton reference describes him a being revered on that tour – a magnificent general, tough, durable and an inspiration to the men around him. It quotes Johnny Quinlan the tour co-manager He always set an example in conduct. His representative career ended at age 32 with that Ashes success and he coached Glebe, Wests and Norths in the following years, including North Sydneys premiership winning sides of 1921 and 1922. Christopher McKivat died on 4 May 1941 after a short illness and he died at Gloucester House, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown. He was survived by his wife and one son, a large funeral was held at St. James Church, Forest Lodge, New South Wales, and he was buried at Botany Cemetery. The Sydney Morning Herald said of him He was described by Rugby and Rugby League authorities as the best halfback of all time, No one possessed better all round ability. His service from the scrum was the speediest of any halfback since the coming of district football, in 2005 McKivat was admitted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. In August 2006 he was named as coach of the North Sydney Bears Team of the Century, in February 2008, McKivat was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the codes centenary year in Australia

11.
Patrick McCue
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Patrick Aloysius Paddy McCue was an Australian representative rugby union player and pioneer rugby league player. He was a rugby international and an Olympic gold medallist. A forward with the Newtown Rugby Union club in Sydney, McCue was selected on the first Wallaby tour of England in 1908–1909, the squad captained by Herbert Moran. That side competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and McCue was a member of the Australia national rugby union team captained by Chris McKivat which won the gold medal, Paddy McCue also coached the St. George Rugby Union Club in the 1930s. McCue and a number of the joined the Newtown club in Sydney in 1910. They included gold medallist Wallabies John Jumbo Barnett and Charles Boxer Russell and he helped the club win premiership honours that year, playing at second-row forward in the 1910 NSWRFL seasons final. McCue played seven seasons with Newtown and after retiring as a player was assistant coach of the University club in its inaugural first grade season of 1920. He later returned to union, coaching the University rugby union team in seasons 1926,1927,1932,1935,1942,1943 and 1944. In 2008, the year of rugby league in Australia. McCue was selected to represent New South Wales in 1911 and later led New South Wales as captain on the 1912-13 tour of New Zealand and he was selected on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain which was an Australasian squad including four New Zealanders. His final international appearance was in the first test of the 1914 domestic Ashes series, whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney Andrews, Malcolm The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney profile

12.
Bob Stuart (rugby)
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Robert Stuart was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player and represented his country at both sports - a dual-code rugby international. Born in Annandale, New South Wales, Stuart represented for the Wallabies as a flanker in the drawn two Test series in 1910 against the touring All Blacks. After switching to the code in 1911 he was selected to tour Great Britain with the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain led by Chris McKivat. He played in two tour matches, Stuart is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.84. Along with Charles McMurtie and Peter Burge, Stuart made his league debut in a 1911 tour match. Collectively they are likely to have been Australias 17th to 19th dual code rugby internationals, robert Stuart had five children where they lived in Drummoyne NSW

13.
Bob Craig (rugby)
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Robert Robertson Bob Craig was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer who represented his country at both sports. He was one of Australias early dual-code rugby internationals and he was a member of the Australian rugby union team, which won the gold medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Prior to his rugby careers Craig was one of Australias greatest all-round sportsmen, Craig toured Britain and North America with the 1908-09 Wallabies and at the end of that tour won Olympic Gold medal in London in the team captained by Chris McKivat. On his return to Australia he joined the code of rugby league along with 13 of his Olympic teammates. His club football was played with the Balmain Tigers whom he helped to win four premierships between 1915 and 1919, Craig made his international league debut in the First Test in Sydney on 18 June 1910. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day John Barnett, Jack Hickey, Charles Russell and he played in both rugby league Tests against Great Britain in Australia in 1910 and was selected on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He played 31 tour matches and scored 7 tries and he played at second row in all three victorious Tests of the tour. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.64 and he returned to representative honors in 1914 playing two Tests when Australia hosted the Great Britain tourists. All up Craig played in seven rugby league Tests and thirty-five times for Australia and he was secretary of the Balmain Tigers between 1919-1922 and was also a delegate to the NSWRFL in 1923-1924. For a period he served as a state selector and he spent some years in Inverell, New South Wales as a publican at the Royal Hotel. In the financial crises of the 1930s he suffered losses and saw a future ahead. He committed suicide, hanging himself at a hospital in Leichhardt after being ill for some time. Bob Craig was privately cremated at Rookwood and he was survived by his wife Eleanor, and three children

14.
Charles Fraser (rugby league)
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Charles Chook Fraser was an Australian rugby league footballer and later coach. He was a versatile three-quarter for the Australian national team and he played in 11 Tests between 1911 and 1920 as captain on 3 occasions. He is considered one of the nations finest footballers of the 20th century Chook Fraser was born in Short Street, Balmain in 1893. A Balmain junior, Fraser was graded with the Balmain Tigers at age 17 and he was member of Balmains premiership winning sides of 1915,1916,1917,1919,1920, and 1924. His 185 first grade games stood as the Balmain club record for more than four decades and he was the NSW Rugby Football Leagues top point scorer in 1916 and 1917. He was voted both the Wests Tigers Team of the Century and the Balmain Tigers Team of the Century in the position of centre. In only his second year in first grade with just 15 games to his credit and he made his Test debut at full-back against England in the 1st Test of 1911 at Newcastle upon Tyne and played in 20 other tour matches. He was the youngest Australian footballer to play Test football when he toured with the 1911-12 Kangaroos until surpassed by Brad Fittler in 1990 and he made his state debut for New South Wales in 1912 against New Zealand. He made a nine state appearances during his career against Queensland or visiting International sides. The 1919 touring side of New Zealand was the first Australian full Test side to cross the Tasman, half-way across the Tasman, bites from the ship-bred vermin led to Fraser and Duncan Thompson falling victim to blood-poisoned legs. His first appearance as captain of the Kangaroos was the first test of the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and he led the side in all three Tests of that series. He coached a Gundagai side to success in a competition in 1926. He remained involved with the Balmain club in the 1950s and 1960s as a talent scout and lived at Dock Road and he told Tom Goodman in the Sun Herald in 1978, Im 85 but Im still a fan. I never miss a game at Leichhardt and I go to the S. C. G. for all the big games, in the same article Fraser stated that Dally Messenger was greatest player he had ever seen play Rugby League. Chook Frasers favorite hobby was sailing and he was a life member of the 18 footer sailing league in Sydney, and was a crew member of several noted boats and skiffs of his era. Charles 3rd son Jim, also a sailor, went on to win the 18-footers World Championship in 1958 sailing in Jantzen Girl. Chook Fraser died in Balmain in 1981, age 88 and he was survived by six children,17 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, and was buried at Field of Mars Cemetery on the 3 February 1981. In 2006, Charles was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, in February 2008, Fraser was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the codes centenary year in Australia

15.
Arthur Halloway
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Arthur Pony Halloway, was a pioneering Australian rugby league footballer and coach. Born in Sydney, New South Wales he played for the Glebe Dirty Reds, Balmain Tigers and Eastern Suburbs and he was a Half-back for the Australian national team. He played in ten Tests between 1908 and 1919, as captain on three occasions in 1919 and he was recruited by the Glebe club after taking part in the rebel series against Baskervilles New Zealand All Golds. Late in the 1908 season Halloway was selected to go away on the inaugural Kangaroo Tour and he played in 29 matches on tour including the 1st Anglo-Australian Test in London. Earlier that year Halloway made his Test debut in Australias 14–9 win in the 3rd Test in Sydney in 1908, in 1910 Halloway moved to the Balmain club for three seasons, from where he also continued his representative career, making his second Kangaroo tour in 1911. He played in 12 tour matches but no Tests with McKivat the preferred Test half-back and he joined the Eastern Suburbs club 1912 where he won back to back premierships in 1912 and 1913 as well as being a member of the City Cup Winning Side in 1914. Following Chris McKivats retirement he became the preferred half back in the 1914 Ashes series, Halloway returned to Balmain in 1915 where he won further premierships in 1915,16,17,19 and 1920 as captain and captain-coach from 1916. His first appearance as captain of the Kangaroos was on the 1919 tour of New Zealand when he captained the side to a 2–1 tour victory, throughout his playing career Halloway played in over 100 representative matches, including ten tests for Australia. He made over 30 appearances for New South Wales as well as six for Queensland and he later moved to Queensland and represented that state in one game in 1921. He was the man to be part of all of Australias first three tours – the first two Kangaroo tours and the 1919 trip to New Zealand. Along with Billy Cann, Dan Frawley and Tedda Courtney he was one of four men to all three of the tours made between 1908 and 1912 by Australian or New South Welsh teams. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.21, after retirement as a player he coached in the country league at Parkes, then Lismore and also the Newtown club for a season in 1923. He returned to Sydney in the 1930s and won three premierships as coach of the Roosters from 1935 to 1937 and he coached Norths from 1940 to 1941, Canterbury in 1948 and won another premiership coaching Easts in 1945. An article on Arthur Halloway that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on 14 August 1945 – shortly before he brought up his 11th premiership as a player and/or coach, All up Pony Halloway went on four overseas playing tours. He won seven premierships as a player and four as a coach and he stands as the Balmains most successful all time coach winning 79% of the matches in which he guided the club. He was involved in the game at the top level either as player or coach in a career spanning 37 years and he was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1914. In 2007 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, in February 2008, Halloway was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the codes centenary year in Australia. com. au

16.
Charles McMurtrie
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Charles McMurtrie was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer who represented his country at both sports. He competed in rugby union at the 1908 Summer Olympics and was an early dual-code rugby international, McMurtrie won Olympic Gold in London in 1908 playing rugby union for the Wallabies in the team captained by Chris McKivat. On his return to Australia he joined the code of rugby league along with a number of his Olympic teammates. He was selected in 1911 for the 2nd Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and he is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.81. Along with Peter Burge and Bob Stuart, McMurtie made his league debut in a tour match in 1911. Collectively they were Australias 17th to 19th dual code rugby internationals. com

17.
Dan Frawley
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Dan Frawley was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer, a national representative player. He played his career as a winger with the Eastern Suburbs club in Sydney and is considered one of the nations finest footballers of the 20th century. He was a speedster who, on the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, was acclaimed as the 100 yards champion of the squad. Of Irish parentage, Frawley grew up in the inner Sydney harbourside suburb of Woolloomooloo and he served as a Trooper in the 3rd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse during the Second Boer War in South Africa. He first experienced rugby union during his time in South Africa and was chosen in a Commonwealth Servicemans team which competed against a representative Australian side. In 1908 back in Sydney, Frawley turned to the new professional code, in the 1908 NSWRFL season Frawley played in Easts first match and was later selected to represent City New South Wales against Queensland. He missed his clubs appearance in the final at the end of the season as he had selected to go on the inaugural Kangaroo tour of 1908-09 playing in two Tests and 22 tour matches. He scored 13 tries on the tour and his sign-on fee was 125 pounds. And a further 3 pounds,5 shillings a week during the season, Frawley played in 19 matches for Warrington club scoring 8 tries. After returning to Australia in 1910 Frawley made a guest appearance for England team in their match against Newcastle. He played in Easts first premiership-winning side of NSWRL season 1911, the dispute saw him miss the first part of the tour, but after eventually being granted a clearance Frawley scored 18 tries in the remaining 12 matches. Frawley also won a premiership with the Eastern Suburbs club the following year. Frawley was also a member of the first NSW sides to tour New Zealand in 1912 and 1913 and he took out a third consecutive premiership in NSWRL season 1913. This gave the club permanent ownership of the New South Wales Rugby Leagues first trophy, Frawley captained the side in his final season 1914, the year the club won its first City Cup. All up he played a total of fifty-nine first grade matches for his club side Eastern Suburbs and in seven Test matches for Australia and he was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1914. He appeared in an Australian film In the Last Stride, Frawley was said to be quick-witted and extremely competitive in nature. He appears to have one of the games earliest sledgers. Former teammate Horrie Miller, many later, recalled I remember Dan walking onto the field one day against a champion winger

18.
Bob Williams (rugby)
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Robert Bob Williams was a pioneer Australian rugby league player for the Eastern Suburbs club. Williams, a worker from Woolloomooloo, had a distinguished career with the Eastern Suburbs club. Williams, or Botsy as he was known, won premierships with Eastern Suburbs in 1911,1912 and 1913. He was also a member of Eastern Suburbs City Cup winning sides in 1914,1915 &1916, a lightweight but rugged front-row forward went away on the second Kangaroo tour representing his country in two Tests and appearing in seventeen other tour matches. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.85, Williams was a member of the first New South Wales side to tour New Zealand in 1912. He coached the Brisbane University Rugby league team between 1924-26 and he was also a coach of Brisbanes West End RLFC in the 1932-1934. Williams returned to Sydney, coaching University in 1935,1936 and 1937, North Sydney in 1938 &1939, the Sydney Roosters player register lists him as number 45. Bob Williams died in 1969 aged 82, the Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales, Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p.609

19.
Peter Burge (rugby)
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Peter Harold Boyne Burge was an Australian rugby footballer and coach. He represented his country in rugby league and rugby union. The eldest of the four Burge brothers, Peter was one of the first Australian dual-code rugby internationals, playing rugby union with South Sydney in 1904 the twenty-year-old Burge was selected for the Metropolis representative side against the Great Britain tourists. When the All Blacks toured in 1905 Burge played against them firstly for Metropolis, Burge, a lock claimed a total of three international rugby caps for Australia. In two of these matches, he served as captain and his debut game was against New Zealand, at Sydney, on 20 July 1907. On both trips he only played one game due to injury, on the Wallaby tour of 1908 he broke his tibia in his first match against Devon. He took no part in the tour and one of the replacements sent over to fill the touring squad was his brother Albert Burge. In Burges case he joined his brother Alby in the 1909 Wallabies v Kangaroos promotional match which then disqualified him from the amateur code and he joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1910 but then the following year linked with Alby and Frank at Glebe. He toured Great Britain on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, captained by his former Wallaby and then Glebe captain and he made four tour matches appearances for Australia. Along with McMurtie and Bob Stuart, Peter Burge made his league debut in a tour match on that 1911 tour. Collectively they were therefore Australias 17th to 19th dual-code rugby internationals, like Frank Burge had done in 1927, Peter in 1937 coached the St. George Dragons. Peter Burge died suddenly at his brother Franks house in Hurstville, New South Wales on 15 July 1956 and he was buried at Waverley Cemetery with his parents, Peter and Emily Burge. Howell, Max Born to Lead, Wallaby Test Captains, Celebrity Books, Auckland, NZ

20.
Bill Farnsworth
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Andrew William Bill Farnsworth was an Australian pioneer rugby league footballer of the 1910s whose club career was played in Sydney with Newtown. He represented at state level for both New South Wales and Queensland, and at the level for Australia and Australasia. He is the brother of fellow New South Wales and Australian representative, Farnsworth stayed true to rugby union and remained an amateur till 1909. In NSWRFL season 1910, he joined the league ranks. During the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, Bill Farnsworth and his brother, Viv, with Newtown farnsworth also won the premiership that year. The following year the Farnsworth brothers were selected for the Australasian Kangaroo tour of Britain in 1911–1912 and they were the first set of brothers to play representative rugby league for Australia. Their brother Roy also played at Newtown, Farnsworth also played in Brisbane for Toombul and Kurilpa, gaining selection for Queensland in 1912. With his brother Viv, he headed to England and the end of 1912 and he was still in England at the out-break of the Great War and enlisted for active duty. He continued playing for Oldham tilll 1920, Farnsworth returned to the Newtown club as coach for part of the 1924 NSWRFL season. Farnsworth also played in two cricket matches, one in 1908-09 for New South Wales and one in 1919 for Lancashire. He became the first player to represent New South Wales at Rugby, Rugby League, Bill Farnsworth was the great-uncle of the Parramatta Eels ex player and CEO Denis Fitzgerald. In 2008, the year of rugby league in Australia. List of New South Wales representative cricketers Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson, the Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales, Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p.269

21.
Viv Farnsworth
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Viv Farnsworth was an Australian professional rugby league player for Newtown, Wests, New South Wales and Australia, he also represented Australasia. He was regarded as a centre and, alongside his brother. Farnsworth was a member of the 1910 premiership winning Newtown team in the final against Souths. In the same year, the made their international debut against the touring British Lions and were both selected for the Australasian Kangaroo tour of Britain in 1911–1912. They were the first set of brothers to play rugby league for Australia. Viv Farnsworth made his Test debut in the first Test against England on 8 November 1911 and he scored a total of 19 tries on tour, one less than Herb Gilbert. The combination of Gilbert and Farnsworth was a feature of the successful tour, after touring New Zealand with New South Wales in 1912, Farnsworth headed back to England and joined the Oldham club. He was still in England at the out-break of the Great War, after the war, Farnsworth re-joined Sydney club Newtown in 1919 but by 1920 he had moved to Wests where he played for two seasons. Farnsworth participated in the Ashes-winning series of 1920, again proving a formidable combination with Herb Gilbert in the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Although the score was even at 8–all at half-time, tries to Australias three-quarter line of Dick Vest, Farnsworth, Gilbert, an injury in the third Test of the series eventually ended Farnsworths playing career. The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, wetherill Park, New South Wales, Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p.153. Sydney, New South Wales, ABC Enterprises

22.
William Neill (rugby league)
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William Webby Neill was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer of the early 20th century who later became a leading referee in the New South Wales Rugby Football League. Neill played for South Sydney in the first ever NSWRFL premiership season in 1908 and that went on to play in the first ever Grand final. The following season Souths also won the premiership and he was first selected for the Australian national side that year, Neill moved to Newtown the following season, playing in their 1910 NSWRFL season grand final-winning team to make it three premierships in three years. The following year he was selected to go on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and he played for another three seasons at Newtown before a final season with Glebe. Neill later took to refereeing in the NSWRFL and he oversaw matches in a long refereeing career from 1916 to 1932 and officiated in a number of Grand finals in that time. He was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1931, Webby Neill is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.50 William Neill at rugbyleagueproject. org William Neill at nrlstats. com

23.
Bill Noble
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Bill Noble was a pioneer Australian international representative rugby league footballer. He played club football in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premierships very first season with Newtown in 1908, in 1909 he was also selected to play for Australia, making his full international debut against New Zealand in 1910. He went on to play in the first ever test match against Great Britain on Australian soil during the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, Noble was also selected for the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, playing in two tests and 19 tour matches. He joined the Balmain Tigers as captain for his season in 1913. Noble was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1914, Noble moved to Queensland after his playing days were over, and was the general manager of the Golden Casket lotteries, until his death in 1937. He was buried at South Brisbane Cemetery on 29 November 1937, Bill Noble at rugbyleagueproject. com Bill Noble at nrlstats. com Bill Noble at yesterdayshero. com. au

24.
Charles Russell (rugby)
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Charles Boxer Joseph Russell was a pioneer Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer and coach. He represented his country in sports and was one Australias early dual-code rugby internationals. He was a gold medallist at the 1908 Summer Olympics, Russell was a centre/winger whose club rugby was played with the Newtown RUFC in Sydney. He played three Tests for the Wallabies in 1907 against the All Blacks before being selected for the first Wallaby tour of Britain in 1908 and he played in both Tests of the tour scoring tries in each. His 24 tries in all games of that still stands as Wallaby record. He was a member of the Australian Olympic team who won Gold in London in 1908 in the team captained by Chris McKivat, on his return to Australia he joined the fledgling code of rugby league along with 13 of his Olympic teammates. He played at full-back in the first Test against Great Britain in 1910 when Australia hosted the tourists and he was selected in 1911 for the 2nd Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and played in 24 tour matches scoring 9 tries. He played on the wing in the victorious 1st and 2nd Tests of 1911, during the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, the first ever, Russell made his international league debut in the first Test in Sydney on 18 June. Four of his former Wallaby team mates also debuted that day John Barnett, Bob Craig, Jack Hickey and his club football was with Newtown, where he played for 7 seasons. He was captain-coach of the Newtown premiership-winning side of 1910, landing two goals to tie the final against South Sydney 4-4, thus enabling Newtown to win the premiership, Russell was also selected for the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. Russell coached Newtown for a number of years including the winning team of 1933. He was a referee and served as an Australian rugby league selector for a number of years. Charles Russell was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1944, in 2008, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, Russell was named in the Newtown Jets 18-man team of the century

25.
Albert Broomham
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Albert Frederick Broomham was a pioneer Australian rugby league player from the 1900s who represented for New South Wales and Australia. Born at St. Broomham played seven seasons with the North Sydney club between 1908-1914 and he again toured with the 1911-12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain where he made his final Test appearance in the first Test against England. Broomham is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.40, Albert Broomham retired after the 1914 NSWRFL season. S. W. 1909, Kangaroos vs Wallabies 1909, N. S. W, all up, Albert Broomham represented Australia in five Tests, Australasia in 2 Tests, New South Wales on 26 occasions and Metropolis on three occasions. One of Australias great rugby league pioneers, Broomham died on 23 December 1948, aged 63

26.
Billy Cann
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Billy Cann was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1900s who later wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald. A New South Wales state and Australia national representative lock forward, Cann played his club football for South Sydney with whom he won the 1914 NSWRFL Premiership. Cann was also an administrator at Souths and a football journalist. Cann, a contemporary of Dally Messenger and Albert Rosenfeld, began his career as a Rugby union three-quarter at Souths. Frustrated at being ignored by rugby union selectors, he joined the rebel New South Wales rugby league team played the New Zealand All Golds in 1907. Cann joined South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1908, butler was then selected to tour England with the Kangaroos in the 1908-09 so was unable to play in Souths first premiership win in 1908. Cann is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No.20, Cann was a member of the premiership-winning Souths teams of 1909. Cann also represented Australasia in 1910, Cann was selected to go on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain as well as two tours to New Zealand with the New South Wales team. Cann was a member of the premiership-winning Souths teams of 1914 and he had played 9 seasons with the club. Cann was a member of Souths committee from 1908 as well as a delegate to the New South Wales Rugby Football League, in 1921–1922, Cann was co-manager of the Kangaroo tour along with Souths secretary, S. G. George Ball. During the 1940s and 50s, Cann was a vice-president of the NSWRFL and he also wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald. Cann is credited with shaping the role of the lock in the new code, john Quinlan said of Cann, It was he who introduced the typical Australian style of fast forward play in which the backs and forwards combine so effectively and spectacularly. It is no reflection on his successors to say the original model remains the greatest gem and he was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1914. In February 2008, Cann was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the centenary year in Australia. The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, wetherill Park, New South Wales, Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p.74. Sydney, New South Wales, ABC Enterprises

27.
Steve Darmody
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Steve Darmody was a pioneer Australian rugby league player. He toured with the Australian national team on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, a promising hurdler in his youth, Darmody joined the South Sydney Club in 1910 initially as a goal-kicking winger. He was chosen for the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain as versatile forward and he played in six minor matches on the tour, kicking nine goals. Following the tour he stayed in England and along with Herb Gilbert, at the outbreak of World War I, Darmody enlisted in the British Army. He saw service in Flanders as a rider for the Service Corps. His foot was mangled in machinery accident early in the war resulting in the loss of his foot and he had an artificial limb fitted and then re-enlisted. The Hull club later played a match for Darmody. In 1921, when the airship R38 Humber split in two and fell onto the city, Darmody searched through the rubble for survivors and was called to give evidence at the coronial inquest. After the war he ran a cycle business in Hull. Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

28.
Herb Gilbert
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Herb Gilbert was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a dual-code international. He represented the Wallabies in 3 Tests in 1910 and the Kangaroos in 7 Tests from 1911 to 1920 and he was born in Gulgong, New South Wales and moved to Sydney, playing rugby union in the South Sydney district. Gilbert was selected for New South Wales in 1910 against Queensland and that same year he made his Wallaby Test debut playing in all three Tests against the All Blacks in 1910 in which the Wallabies were undefeated. Tall and powerful for his era, Gilbert stood at 6 ft he weighed 13 st 7 lb and he played Rugby Union for Metropolitan, New South Wales and Australia. He made his debut for New South Wales in 1910, aged 22, he played against Queensland, Gilbert learnt his football in the South Sydney District and went into the NSW and Australian teams in 1910 after ‘Dally’ Messenger defected to league. The pro-Rugby Union press boasted Gilbert was an asset to the Union than Dally Messenger had ever been. He scored two of Australia’s three tries with strong, hard running, positioning himself well at the end of sustained passing rushes, Gilbert later crossed over to the professional code, joining the South Sydney Club in 1910. He represented for New South Wales in 1911 and was chosen for the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, Gilbert made his International league début in the first Test at Newcastle in November 1911, becoming the 16th ever Australian dual code international. He played in all three Tests on tour, heading the tours try-scoring list with 20 tries, after the outbreak of World War I, the three-quarter returned to Australia, where he rejoined South Sydney. In 1916, Gilbert joined Eastern Suburbs and he was a member of that clubs City Cup winning side before joining the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1917. He played with them until 1920, helping to transfer them from a side to a competitive outfit. Gilbert returned to the Australian Test team as Captain in the 2nd Test of the Lions 1920 tour of Australia, All four of Australias illustrious three-quarter line of Dick Vest, Harold Horder, Viv Farnsworth and Gilbert scored tries in Australias 21–8 victory. With the Ashes already won, Australia lost to Great Britain in the 3rd Test of the series with Gilbert captaining his country for his 2nd, in 1921, at age 33, Gilbert signed on as foundation captain-coach of the newly formed St. George club. He retired as player at the end of season but coached the club until 1924. He was awarded Life Membership of the St. George Dragons club in 1938, Herb Gilbert was a state and national selector from 1925 to 1937, his working career was with the New South Wales Railways, in his later years he was doorman at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Herb died in 1972 – aged 84, in 2004 he was named by Souths in their South Sydney Dream Team, consisting of 17 players and a coach representing the club from 1908 through to 2004. In February 2008, Gilbert was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the centenary year in Australia. Three of Gilberts sons all played for St. George with Herb Junior, two great grandsons were professional sportsmen – Sam Gilbert played AFL with St Kilda and Larry Davidson, was a basketballer who played in the NBL for the Wollongong Hawks

29.
Howard Hallett
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Howard Hallett was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. Hallett was a member of three premiership-winning teams,1909,1914 and 1918. At the end of the 1914 season, Hallett was awarded a belt by the Sanderson Whiskey company as Player of the Season. Hallett was first selected to play for New South Wales in 1911 and he played the remaining two tests at fullback. Hallett toured with New South Wales to New Zealand in both the 1913 inaugural tour and 1914, halletts final year as a member of the national team was in 1914 when the Northern Union toured Australia. Hallett retired from first-grade in 1924 and in 1925 he was back at Souths as coach and he coached the team through their only unbeaten season, twelve games. The final two games of the season were cancelled as Souths sat at the top of the ladder, ten points ahead of their nearest rival. A four-team semi-finals series, along with other changes to speed up the game, was introduced in 1926 in an effort by the NSWRL to attract crowds back to the matches. Hallett once again coached his team to the top of the ladder, with eleven points separating Souths from the Glebe Dirty Reds. Hallett retired from coaching at the end of the 1926 season, halletts son, Howard Hallett Jnr, played 7 seasons for South Sydney between 1940-1949. Hallett died on the 28 May 1970, in February 2008, Hallett was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the codes centenary year in Australia. The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, wetherill Park, New South Wales, Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p.214. Howard Hallett at NRL Stats Howard Hallett at NRL Stats

30.
Tedda Courtney
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Ed Tedda Courtney was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and Coach. He played club football for the North Sydney Bears, Western Suburbs Magpies and representative football for the New South Wales state and he is considered one of the nations finest footballers of the 20th century. Born in Sydney, Australia Courtney was one of six brothers who all played for North Sydney and his brothers Raymond and Robert died in World War I. He was a wharfie throughout his life and was renowned for his fearless tackling style. Courtney played rugby union for North Sydney and for St George, Tedda Courtney had a remarkably long first grade career that lasted for 16 seasons. Courtney joined Newtown in 1908 in the code, moved to Wests in 1909. He found his home back at Wests in 1911 where he played the next thirteen seasons. He was selected on the inaugural Kangaroo tour of 1908-09 appearing in all three Tests and in a total of games on tour on which he was the top-scoring forward with 10 tries. He made a second Kangaroo tour in 1911-12 in which he made twenty five match appearances and he played in three other Test series against Great Britain at home in 1910 and 1914 and against New Zealand in 1909, he also represented Australasia. On 14 June 1924 when Courtney was 39 he played in a game for Wests against Glebe alongside his son, Ed Courtney and it remains the only time a father and son combination has played together in a Sydney first grade game. He is listed on the Australian Players register as Kangaroo No.37, Courtney retired at the end of 1924 and returned to the district of his football beginnings - North Sydney. He coached the lower grades for some years and coached first grade in 1930, courtneys coaching services were obtained by the newly formed Canterbury-Bankstown DRLFC for their first season in 1935. In September 2004 Courtney was named at prop in the Western Suburbs Magpies team of the century, ted Courtney was a Life Member of the New South Wales Rugby League. In February 2008, Courtney was named in the list of Australias 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the centenary year in Australia

31.
Australian Rugby League
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The Australian Rugby Football League, more commonly known as the Australian Rugby League, was the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in Australia. The ARL, as an entity, was handed over to the new Australian Rugby League Commission. At 9, 30am on 9 February 2012, since its inception the ARL administered the Australian national team and represented Australia in international rugby league matters. During the mid-1990s Super League war the ARL administered the countrys first-grade premiership until the National Rugby League was formed, the legal hand-over from ARL to ARL Commission ensured that the game has effectively had the same governing body across Australia, since 1924. George Ball was the first secretary of the Board and John La Maro the first chairman, prior to this time, international rugby league was organised by both the NSWRL and the QRL. It was only after this time that the Australian team began to wear the now familiar sporting colours of Green, in 1984 the ARL was duly incorporated, as a separate entity, and Ken Arthurson was the first executive chairman of the new body. With national expansion of the competition implemented for the 1995 season the NSWRL passed control of the Winfield Cup competition to the ARL, Super League successfully attracted eight of the ARL clubs. In the 1995 State of Origin series, the ARL forbade the players of those eight clubs participating in the interstate competition. However, those clubs were allowed to participate in the seasons of 1995 and 1996. However, Super League conducted a competition in 1997. Both the ARL and Super League competitions ran parallel to other that year. As a consequence of the negotiations that followed, the National Rugby League was formed before the 1998 season from the ARL, between 1998 season and the first few months of the 2012 season the ARL had six out of twelve seats on the NRL Partnership board. In 2012 News Limited exited the game and the ARL was fully incorporated into the new, during the Super League war of the mid-1990s the ARL also administered Australias club premiership. ARL Development is a company that was formed by the ARL to develop the sport from an introductory level to the age of 18 years. In achieving this, ARL Development has developed new modified codes that gradually introduce children to rugby league and this is done by restricting the rules and then gradually releasing these restrictions. The two introductory modified codes currently in use are mini footy and mod league, on completion of mod league, players make a move to full international rugby league laws. Ownership of ARL Development was transferred to the Australian Rugby League Commission in 2012, the ARL constitution ARL One Community Australian Rugby League official website

32.
George A. Gillett
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George Arthur Gillett was a renowned New Zealand multi-code footballer of the early 20th century and a dual-code rugby international. Gillett died in 1956 in Onehunga, born in Leeston, Gillett received his education at Hamilton East School and went on to represent Thames, and then Auckland in rugby union in 1899. After serving in the South African war, he lived in Kalgoorlie and whilst there played Australian rules football, Gillett returned to New Zealand in 1905 where he lived in Christchurch and played for the Merivale club. He was selected for the 1905–06 Original All Blacks tour without having played a game for Canterbury, on that tour he played 25 of the 35 matches including his first Test cap for New Zealand on 18 November 1905 against Scotland. In total he played 30 matches during the period of 1905 to 1908 including eight Tests, after switching to rugby league Gillett toured Australia with the 1911 New Zealand national team and was one of four New Zealanders who toured Britain with the 1911–12 Australasian team. He played in five matches but no Tests. Gillet coached the 1912 New Zealand side who played the touring New South Wales team and he later became the New Zealand Rugby Leagues official organiser, helping to promote the game particularly in the Thames and Wellington areas. In 1908, the touring Anglo-Welsh team were departing by ship when one of their players, Percy Down, Gillett, along with Arthur Bolla Francis and two others, dived into the water and kept Down afloat until a rope was lowered from the ship

33.
Charles Savory
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Charles Savory was a New Zealand international rugby league footballer and champion boxer who died in the First World War. An Australasian and New Zealand international representative forward, Savory was one of four Kiwis players selected to go on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain, due to playing the same sports, he has been described as the Sonny Bill Williams of his time. In an Auckland Rugby Union club match, while Savory was playing for Ponsonby, Savory then joined the new Auckland Rugby League competition, playing for Ponsonby United. An Auckland representative, Savory was first selected for New Zealand in 1911 when they toured Australia, playing against New South Wales and he was then one of four New Zealanders selected to go on the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. In 1912 he was sent off during a match for Ponsonby United and was suspended for the rest of the season, in 1913 Savory was found guilty of kicking by the ARL judiciary and was suspended for life. Savory claimed it was a case of mistaken identity and this sparked a feud between the ARL and the New Zealand Rugby League as the NZRL heard the case and asked the ARL to reconsider, which they refused to do in June. The NZRL then quashed the conviction and Savory played for New Zealand while he was suspended by the ARL. The incident resulted in the NZRL suspending the entire ARL board, Savory again toured Australia in 1913 and in 1914 played in a Test match against the touring Great Britain Lions. In 1914 Savory won the National Amateur Heavyweight Boxing championship, Savory enlisted with the outbreak of World War I. He died of wounds at Gallipoli on 8 May 1915 after landing at Ari Burnu with the Auckland Battalion, the 2015 Anzac Test man of the match, Manu Vatuvei, was awarded the Charles Savory medal

34.
Coventry
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Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. Historically part of Warwickshire, Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and it is the second largest city in the West Midlands region, after Birmingham, with a population of 345,385 in 2015. Coventry is 95 miles northwest of central London,19 miles east-south-east of Birmingham,24 miles southwest of Leicester and 11 miles north of Warwick. Coventry Cathedral was built after the destruction of the 14th century cathedral church of Saint Michael by the German Luftwaffe in the Coventry Blitz of 14 November 1940, Coventry motor companies have contributed significantly to the British motor industry. The city has two universities, Coventry University in the city centre and the University of Warwick on the southern outskirts. The Romans founded a settlement in Baginton, next to the River Sowe, and another formed around a Saxon nunnery, founded c. AD700 by St Osburga, that was later left in ruins by King Canutes invading Danish army in 1016. Earl Leofric of Mercia and his wife Lady Godiva built on the remains of the nunnery, in time, a market was established at the abbey gates and the settlement expanded. By the 14th century, Coventry was an important centre of the cloth trade, the bishops of Lichfield were often referred to as bishops of Coventry and Lichfield, or Lichfield and Coventry. Coventry claimed the status of a city by ancient prescriptive usage, was granted a charter of incorporation in 1345, the plays that William Shakespeare witnessed in Coventry during his boyhood or teens may have influenced how his plays, such as Hamlet, came about. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Coventry became one of the three main British centres of watch and clock manufacture and ranked alongside Prescot, in Lancashire, in the late 19th century, Coventry became a major centre of bicycle manufacture. The industry energised by the invention by James Starley and his nephew John Kemp Starley of the Rover safety bicycle, by the early 20th century, bicycle manufacture had evolved into motor manufacture, and Coventry became a major centre of the British motor industry. Jaguar is owned by the Indian company, Tata Motors, with many of the citys older properties becoming increasingly unfit for habitation, the first council houses were let to their tenants in 1917. With Coventrys industrial base continuing to soar after the end of the Great War a year later, numerous private and council housing developments took place across the city in the 1920s and 1930s. The development of a southern by-pass around the city, starting in the 1930s and being completed in 1940, Coventry suffered severe bomb damage during the Second World War. There was a massive Luftwaffe air raid, part of the Coventry Blitz, firebombing on this date led to severe damage to large areas of the city centre and to Coventrys historic cathedral, leaving only a shell and the spire. More than 4,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, along with three quarters of the citys industrial plants. More than 800 people were killed, with injured and homeless. Aside from London, Hull and Plymouth, Coventry suffered more damage than any other British city during the Luftwaffe attacks, following the raids, the majority of Coventrys historic buildings could not be saved as they were in ruinous states or were deemed unsafe for any future use

35.
Yorkshire
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Yorkshire, formally known as the County of York, is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Due to its size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been undertaken over time by its subdivisions. Throughout these changes, Yorkshire has continued to be recognised as a geographical territory, Yorkshire has sometimes been nicknamed Gods Own County or Gods Own Country. Yorkshire Day, held on 1 August, is a celebration of the culture of Yorkshire. Yorkshire is now divided between different official regions, most of the county falls within Yorkshire and the Humber. The extreme northern part of the county falls within North East England, Small areas in the west of the historic county now form part of North West England, following boundary changes in 1974. Yorkshire or the County of York was so named as it is the shire of the city of York local /ˈjɔːk/ or Yorks Shire, York comes from the Viking name for the city, Jórvík. Shire is from Old English, scir meaning care or official charge, the shire suffix is locally pronounced /-ʃə/ shuh, or occasionally /-ʃiə/, a homophone of sheer. Early inhabitants of Yorkshire were Celts, who formed two tribes, the Brigantes and the Parisi. The Brigantes controlled territory which later became all of the North Riding of Yorkshire, the tribe controlled most of Northern England and more territory than any other Celtic tribe in England. That they had the Yorkshire area as their heartland is evident in that Isurium Brigantum was the town of their civitas under Roman rule. Six of the nine Brigantian poleis described by Claudius Ptolemaeus in the Geographia fall within the historic county, the Parisi, who controlled the area that would become the East Riding of Yorkshire, might have been related to the Parisii of Lutetia Parisiorum, Gaul. Their capital was at Petuaria, close to the Humber estuary, initially, this situation suited both the Romans and the Brigantes, who were known as the most militant tribe in Britain. Queen Cartimandua left her husband Venutius for his bearer, Vellocatus. Cartimandua, due to her relationship with the Romans, was able to keep control of the kingdom. At the second attempt, Venutius seized the kingdom, but the Romans, under general Petillius Cerialis, the fortified city of Eboracum was named as capital of Britannia Inferior and joint-capital of all Roman Britain. During the two years before the death of Emperor Septimius Severus, the Roman Empire was run from Eboracum by him, another emperor, Constantius Chlorus, died in Yorkshire during a visit in 306 AD. This saw his son Constantine the Great proclaimed emperor in the city, in the early 5th century, the Roman rule ceased with the withdrawal of the last active Roman troops

36.
Rugby League War of the Roses
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The first War of the Roses was contested in 1895 between Yorkshire and Lancashire since rugby league was founded in Yorkshire and mostly played in the heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It was held almost annually until 1991 and occasionally was contested in a series, in 1985, an annual fixture between Lancashire and Yorkshire was proposed as a replacement for the County Championship which had last been played in 1982–83. The fixture became known as the Rodstock War of the Roses, the series lasted until 1991, when it was scrapped due to lack of interest. The fixture was revived in 2001 under the name of the Origin Series, the Origin Series was reduced to a one-off Origin Game in 2003 due to the British hosting the touring Australia, New Zealand A and as well the kick off of the Rugby League European Nations Cup. So together with the Challenge Cup, WCC and Rugby Super League, the tournament was then rested due to apathy from rugby league supporters. The series has in effect been replaced by the International Origin series, in 2015, the RFL department of Womens Rugby League announced that they would stage the inaugural Womens War of the Roses, between Lancashire Ladies and Yorkshire Ladies. The match, which place at Thatto Heath Crusaders, St. Helens, saw Yorkshire Ladies and Lancashire Ladies share the honours after a 22-22 draw. The match, held on October 18,2015, followed a Lancashire Girls vs Yorkshire Girls under 18s match, International Origin Rleague. com, War of Roses

37.
Bramall Lane
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Bramall Lane is a football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Sheffield United and it was also used by Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield F. C. for major matches. This is because Sheffield Wednesday are a club and used to own this ground. It has been the home of Sheffield United since the establishment in 1889. It is the oldest major stadium in the still to be hosting professional association football matches. The stadium was built on a Sheffield road named after the Bramall family, the Bramalls owned The Old White House on the corner of Bramall Lane and Cherry Street, and subsequently built the Sheaf House, now a public house that still stands at the top of Bramall Lane. The stadium was opened as a cricket ground. It was also used for games in the 19th century by Sheffield F. C. and Sheffield Wednesday. Bramall Lane is one of two grounds which has hosted England football internationals, an England cricket test match and an FA Cup Final. It also regularly hosted FA Cup Semi Finals and replays between 1889 and 1938, the ground has also hosted rugby league games for the Sheffield Eagles, a Billy Graham Evangelist meeting in 1985 and a pair of rock concerts by Bruce Springsteen in 1988. The record attendance for the ground is 68,287, set at an FA Cup 5th Round tie between Sheffield United and Leeds United on 15 February 1936. Bramall Lane opened as a ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the industrial area. It was built to host the matches of cricket clubs and originally had six clubs playing there, one of whom was the Wednesday Cricket Club. Bramall Lane opened on 30 April 1855 as a ground with a match between The Eleven and The Twenty Two, The Eleven, despite being the senior team. A team representing Yorkshire played the first county match at the ground on 27 August 1855, against Sussex, although the first county game had been played eight years earlier, the official Yorkshire County Cricket Club was not formed until 1863. The idea came from Ellison, who was using his own finances to support the club and it was the clubs headquarters until 1893, when they moved to Headingley in Leeds. In 1897, Jack Brown and John Tunnicliffe recorded a first wicket score of 378 against Sussex—a ground record that has never been beaten, browns score of 311 and Yorkshires innings of 681 for 5 declared were also records when the cricket ground closed

38.
Sheffield
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Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, its derives from the River Sheaf. With some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its industrial roots to encompass a wider economic base. The population of the City of Sheffield is 569,700, Sheffield is the third largest English district by population. The metropolitan population of Sheffield is 1,569,000, in the 19th century, Sheffield gained an international reputation for steel production. Known as the Steel City, many innovations were developed locally, including crucible and stainless steel, Sheffield received its municipal charter in 1843, becoming the City of Sheffield in 1893. International competition in iron and steel caused a decline in these industries in the 1970s and 1980s, the 21st century has seen extensive redevelopment in Sheffield along with other British cities. Sheffields gross value added has increased by 60% since 1997, standing at £9.2 billion in 2007, the economy has experienced steady growth averaging around 5% annually, greater than that of the broader region of Yorkshire and the Humber. The city is in the foothills of the Pennines, and the valleys of the River Don and its four tributaries, the Loxley, the Porter Brook, the Rivelin. 61% of Sheffields entire area is space, and a third of the city lies within the Peak District national park. The area now occupied by the City of Sheffield is believed to have inhabited since at least the late Upper Palaeolithic period. The earliest evidence of occupation in the Sheffield area was found at Creswell Crags to the east of the city. In the Iron Age the area became the southernmost territory of the Pennine tribe called the Brigantes and it is this tribe who are thought to have constructed several hill forts in and around Sheffield. Gradually, Anglian settlers pushed west from the kingdom of Deira, a Celtic presence within the Sheffield area is evidenced by two settlements called Wales and Waleswood close to Sheffield. The settlements that grew and merged to form Sheffield, however, date from the half of the first millennium. In Anglo-Saxon times, the Sheffield area straddled the border between the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, after the Norman conquest, Sheffield Castle was built to protect the local settlements, and a small town developed that is the nucleus of the modern city. By 1296, a market had been established at what is now known as Castle Square, from 1570 to 1584, Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in Sheffield Castle and Sheffield Manor. During the 1740s, a form of the steel process was discovered that allowed the manufacture of a better quality of steel than had previously been possible

39.
Broughton, Salford
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Broughton is a suburb of Salford, England. It lies on the east bank of the River Irwell and A56 road, Broughton consists of Broughton Park, Higher Broughton, Lower Broughton and a part of Kersal. Its immediate proximity to Manchester effectively makes it a suburb of that city, historically in Lancashire, Broughton anciently constituted a township and chapelry in the parish of Manchester and hundred of Salford. The former manor house, Broughton Hall, belonged to the Chethams, a part of Broughton was amalgamated into the then Municipal Borough of Salford in 1844, and the remaining area of the township in 1853. Since the turn of the 21st century, parts of Lower Broughton and Higher Broughton have been redeveloped with a mixture of town houses, together with neighbouring Prestwich and part of Crumpsall, Broughton is home to a large Jewish community. Some neolithic implements and other remains have been found in Broughton. The Roman road from Manchester to Ribchester passed through the area, the township of Broughton dates back to 1177 when it was known as Burton, bounded mainly by the meandering River Irwell. To the west of this township, close to a ford across the Irwell, the Manor of Broughton was formerly an ancient demesne of the honour of Lancaster, being a member of the Royal Manor of Salford. It descended through families and in 1578 was bought by Henry Stanley. This was home to the astronomer and mathematician William Crabtree. The recording of the event is now seen as the birth of modern astronomy in Britain, in June 2004 a commemorative street nameplate in memory of William Crabtree was unveiled at the junction of Lower Broughton Road and Priory Grove. This site marks the location that is thought most likely to have been the home of Crabtree, a commemorative plaque was erected in 2005 a few yards away near Ivy Cottage, which is thought to be the house from which Crabtree made his observations. In 1772 the Manor of Broughton became the property of Mary, sister of Edward Cheetham of Nuthurst, the manor then descended through the Clowes family to the Captain Henry Arthur Clowes. By 1801 the population of the township of Broughton with Kersal was 866, much of the land was owned by the Clowes family of Broughton Old Hall and the Byroms of Kersal Cell, and was either farmed, or supported cottage industries such as spinning and weaving. Broughton Park, which stretched from Singleton Road to Broom Lane with Broughton Old Hall at the centre, was the estate of the Clowes family, the highlight of the year was the Kersal Moor Races held during Whit Week when the Kersal area became a giant fairground. Archery was also a sport for which the Broughton Archers were renowned countrywide. By the mid-19th century the majority of residents who lived in the known as the Cliff were members of the professional classes. The Cliff was one of the earliest residential suburbs for commuters into Manchester, a number of the houses built for them still stand today and are protected as listed buildings

Workers producing shuttles for the textile industry, c. 1920. Rowland Baguley and Company, based on Addison Street, produced a wide range of shuttles for the home textile industry and for export before it closed in the early 1930s.

The Wales national rugby league team represents Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the …

Image: Wales rugby league logo

Jim Sullivan, born in Cardiff, first played for Wales on the 21 December 1920 against Australia and played a then record 26 times for Wales throughout the 1920s, and 1930s. This picture depicts him with the Championship Trophy for Wigan.

Wales played Papua New Guinea on the Kumuls tour of Europe. The match finished 50–10 in favour of Wales.